Crimson Triforce
by RegalFolf320
Summary: Lina Inverse and friends encounter Link, Hero of Time, and must go on a strange and exciting adventure to stop a mysterious force that threatens both of their worlds. Full of intense action, plenty of comedic relief, and a fair share of twists and turns. With a blend of two amazing worlds and an engaging plot, this is a great story for all lovers of the medieval and magical.
1. A New Adventure

Another day began in the Red Universe, and it was, as would be expected, just like any normal day in the realm. Or perhaps the right word would be "typical," as no day in Ruby Eye was ever truly "normal." Especially not for the ever-active and trouble-making Lina Inverse, as well as her motley crew of friends.

In this strange but close-knit group were her self-proclaimed "bodyguard," Gourry Gabriev; the bubbly, spunky, and very righteous Amelia, princess of the kingdom of Seyruun; Zelgadis Greywords, a very sullen man who provided skepticism and wit to the group, among other services; and, on occasion, a very secretive and strange mazoku by the name of Xellos, whom, while being rather useful at times, was quite a bother just as often, if not moreso.

"So where shall we go next," Amelia asked as they walked along, an eager smile on her face. "Any ideas, Ms. Lina?"

"Not really," Lina responded absently, glancing around them as if looking for something. "I guess we'll just wander until we come across something interesting, or until we get a lead about a cure for Zel." She stretched a bit and scratched the back of her neck. To be honest, she didn't want to let things drag out like that, knowing it may take ages for them to figure out anything good to do. _But then again,_ she thought to herself,_ the way things tend to go for us, we could stumble upon a new adventure any minute now._

She didn't expect her prediction to come true quite so literally. A mere half hour or so later, they entered a small city. As was usual, Amelia went off to get some supplies, to ensure they'd have some provisions in case they had to camp a lot along their way. Lina went to the nearest inn to get rooms, Gourry tagging along close behind. That left Zelgadis, who decided to wander around and keep to himself for the most part. He ignored the unusual looks from the locals, having long since gotten used to the reactions his appearance received. Being a chimera was something he would never get used to; he refused to, for he was dead-set on finding a cure. _ I was born a human,_ he thought somberly, _and I'm going to die as one, too. I can live with the stares and comments, but I won't let myself get comfortable with my situation. Not when I know there must be a cure out there...somewhere._

Soon enough, everyone had regrouped and found a comfortable cafe at which to get some lunch. Lina and Gourry were eating as if it were their last meal, as they did at b every /b meal. Amelia ate in a normal, rather well-mannered way, happily munching on the good food the cafe had to offer. Zelgadis had finished his own food, and was now enjoying some coffee as he thought quietly to himself.

The peaceful meal they were all enjoying was abruptly interrupted by a series of loud thuds, panicked screams from people outside, and the sudden jet of flames that tore right through the window, nearly burning them all.

"What the hell is going on here," Lina shouted, getting up and rushing outside, followed by the rest of the group. They all stared in sever shock at the sight that awaited them outside the inn, which was now violently ablaze. Stomping along the streets (and through the buildings) of the city were at least a dozen large, dinosaur-like beasts, which were emitting rough, enraged roars and spewing flames everywhere. Some were indifferent to the fleeing citizens, while a few others snapped at the humans and trundled after them, keeping up surprisingly fast despite their massive, heavy bodies.

"What in the hell..." Zelgadis muttered anxiously under his breath, "What **are** these things?

"It doesn't matter," Lina growled. "What's important is that we get rid of them before this gets any worse. FREEZE ARROW!" She launched an arrow of ice at the beasts, figuring that, as they were clearly fire-based creatures, ice was the way to go. The arrow bounced off the monster's hide with a dull thunk, and melted on the ground. She tried again and again, even trying a few other spells. Zel joined her, and Amelia helped however she could. But nothing they did so much as fazed the beast, and they eventually stopped trying, feeling discouraged, but still determined to find a way.

Gourry drew his sword. "If magic won't work on them," he said firmly, "let's see how they like getting sliced into dino-steaks!" He shouted as he lunged forward. He slashed at the massive lizard, and immediately realized it would do no good as, just like Lina's Freeze Arrow, his blade bounced off the tough scales of the creature. He moved his head, dodging the blade as it rather violently swung back at him, having bounced surprisingly hard. "Damn," he muttered, "these things are **tough**." Then he noticed that the beast was turning around to face him. He braced himself, baring his sword in front of him by reflex. As the beast opened its mouth, he had the idea to try attacking the inside of it. This was a mistake. As he stabbed at the vulnerable inside of the monster's throat, he was suddenly assaulted by a powerful burst of fire. He jumped back immediately, covering his face. He was badly burned, but alive. He backed away as the creature advanced on him, opening its mouth again to breathe more fire at him. He realized too late he had backed into a wall, with no way to get around the thing. The others watched, desperate to help but knowing by now that none of their weapons or spells would harm it. Gourry braced himself for the attack.

It never came. For at the moment just as the lizard was starting to exhale, it was struck in the back of the head by a stone. It whirled around, nearly taking Gourry's head off with its tail, to look in the direction from which the stone had come. Lina and friends followed its gaze, and saw something rather unexpected. Up on the roof of one of the few buildings that wasn't burning down was a small boy-he couldn't have been any older than ten-holding a slingshot. He fired another stone, which smacked directly into its target: the monster's left eye. The enormous lizard roared at the top of its lungs, drawing the attention of its brethren, who lurched forward to see what was going on.

Amelia paled, immediately concerned for the safety of the child.

"Little boy," she cried, "you shouldn't bother them! It's not safe! Just run away!" She squealed in panic as the kid, contrary to her urgent suggestions, leapt down from the roof and fired more stones, one-by-one, into each of the creatures' eyes.

"If you want to mess with someone," he shouted at them, "come and get me!" Then he took off at a sprint, leading the giant lizards out of the city. Lina clenched her fists.

"Crazy kid," she growled, "He's going to get himself killed."

"We'd better go help him, then," Zelgadis commented. Then he and the others chased after the boy and the monsters pursuing him. They followed all the way out into a dry, stony area, where the kid suddenly stopped. They gaped as he stood there, letting the fire-breathing dinosaurs form a tight circle around him. Just as they exhaled fire at him, he threw some sort of seed at the ground by his feet. The seed exploded, creating a strobe-like flash that temporarily blinded the beasts. They shook their heads and thrashed their tails, turning around to look for him, unaware the he was still in the middle of the circle, which was starting to lose shape due to the awkward, stumbling movements the lizards made as they tried to find him. With a swift movement, the boy lit a bomb, dropped it at his feet, where all the lizards' tails met at the tips, and used a strange, grappling-hook like device to latch onto a branch on one of the few trees in the area. The hook pulled him safely out of the bomb's blast range just in time, and the force of the explosion startled the monsters, which flipped onto their backs in their shock. The kid then dropped down from the tree, ran over, leapt into the circle once more, and performed one fluid, spinning slash, hitting all the creatures' tails, which seemed to be their only weak spots. He leapt out of the way, and after a few moments, the huge lizards exploded one by one. Lina and crew were gaping, completely bamboozled by what they had just watched, and unsure as to whether or not they were hallucinating. The boy wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and flopped down, clearly exhausted. Lina walked up, and the others followed.

"That was, uh...pretty impressive," she admitted to the kid, who blinked and looked over in curiosity. "Where'd you learn to do that, anyway? And what **were** those things, anyway?"

The young boy, dressed in strange, green clothes and an odd, matching hat, stretched and got up.

"It's kid of hard to explain," he said calmly. "It's just...something I've had a lot of practice at. As for what they are...That's even harder to explain."

Lina grinned. "Try us, kid," she replied, "We've heard and seen some pretty crazy crap in our time. Not much surprises us anymore." She set her hands on her hips, waiting expectantly for his answer. The rest of the group listened, their eyes on the kid. The boy shuffled, rubbing the back of his head.

"Well," he said somewhat hesitantly, as if he was afraid they'd think he was insane, "have you ever heard of a place called Hyrule?"

Lina blinked. She rubbed the back of her own head now.

"Huh...So that place is real," she mused aloud. "So you're from there, I'm guessing? That explains the ears."

The boy ran his fingers along one of his long, pointed ears. He never really thought about how they looked, having never been in this part of the world before.

"Yeah," he responded, nodding slightly. "I'm a Hylian. Those creatures are from there, too, though what they're doing so far from there and how they got here, I don't know. It's something I've been trying to figure out." He made a face, one of frustration and confusion. "I just can't figure it out."

"So who exactly are you?" Zelgadis asked, watching the boy closely. He was always wary of the people he and the others got involved with, having learned not to trust everyone right off the bat. _the fact that__ he's a child gives us no reason to think he was harmless, especially after how he handled those monsters..._

Amelia blinked, as if she had remembered something. She looked a little closer at the boy.

"You know, my papa used to tell me stories about Hyrule," she said to no one in particular, "and how the Hylians are one of the kinds of elves that used to live in this part of the world, but they moved after the experiments that people were using elves for. He also told me about this legend, one about a boy who was destined to save Hyrule. He went back and forth in time and collected all these magical artifacts, awakened six sages of the elements, and saved the kingdom of Hyrule, and the rest of the world, from a power-mad sorcerer..." she looked at the boy. "You look a lot like the pictures he showed me, from a story book that was written years ago about the legend."

The boy laughed nervously.

"That's weird," he mumbled, avoiding her eyes.

Zel's eyes narrowed. Gourry tilted his head, confused.

"Wait a minute..." Gourry thought aloud, "you know, I've heard those stories, too. And I've seen pictures from it. Amelia's right, he does kind look like them." He laughed sheepishly. "But then again, you guys know me. I don't always have the best memory."

"No, no, you're right," Lina interrupted, "but...its gotta be a coincidence. After all, that was seven years ago. By now, that kid would be about seventeen, right?"

The boy sighed. It was evident by his body language that he had something to say.

"True, but there are things that can change a person's appearance," he stated,"like magic."

Zel raised a brow and crossed his arms over his chest. He was clearly skeptical of what this kid was implying.

"What, you expect us to believe you really **are** the Hero of Time?"

"You said it yourself," the boy said, looking at Lina, "nothing is surprising to you guys. If you've really seen enough to expect just about anything, why is it so hard to believe me? Anything is possible, right?"

Lina rubbed the back of her neck, not sure what to think. She thought about it for just a moment, then sighed softly.

"Okay, okay, you've got a point, kid," she admitted, "but can you prove it? Surely you have something that could count as evidence."

The boy thought a moment, then searched his pockets for something. After a second or two, he pulled out a beautiful, silvery-blue ocarina, on the mouthpiece of which was a thin gold ring, with the symbol of three triangles in a pyramid formation on the side of the ring.

Everyone's eyes widened. Even Zelgadis had to admit that he knew what this was, and that it meant the claim was true. For this was no ordinary instrument. This was the one and only Ocarina of Time.


	2. A Tiny Hero

Lina stared for a moment, not quite sure what to say. It certainly wasn't the strangest thing she'd ever seen, but she hadn't quite expected the rumors to be true. Sure, many other legends she'd heard had ended up being true, as she and the others had discovered, but for some reason, this one seemed less likely. No one had ever even been to Hyrule, and no one ever seemed to come from there. So it was widely believe that the entire place, as well as its citizens and the legend of the Hero of Time, were mere myth. Yet here he was, the boy depicted in the stories, holding the Ocarina of Time.

"Wow," she finally managed to say, "so that's the real deal, huh? Which means you're really him. Link, right?"

"Yeah," Link replied, nodding a bit. "So now that you know, do you think you can help me find out what's going on? Starting with how **this** happened..." He gestured to his small, child-like form as he added that last sentence.

Lina nodded. Amelia smiled.

"We'd be happy to help you, Mr. Link," Amelia said brightly. She set a hand on her hip and held a finger up in a matter-of-fact way. "After all, it's clear something's going on, and it's definitely not right! It's our job as heroes of justice to solve this mystery and set things right!"

Link blinked, staring at her. He wasn't entirely sure where that came from, but he was glad to have the help. He was used to solving serious problems by himself, but to have company for once would be nice. _After all,_ he thought, _even heroes get lonely sometimes..._

"Okay," Lina said, sitting down in front of Link, "let's start with you explaining what you know so far. When those things, whatever they were, started moving out here, when you got here to find them and figure out **why** they're here, and how you got turned into a kid."

Link rubbed the back of his head, giving a small sigh and closing his eyes as he tried to recall the events leading up to this point. The others sat down and waited for him to gather his thoughts.

"I first noticed them moving this way while I was on my way home," he said, eyes still closed as he pieced the memories together. "I was heading through Termina, another area near Hyrule, on my way back from an adventure. There are some of them living there, too, but not that many. I noticed a much larger group than usual, and the entire group was headed in this general direction. That was...I don't even remember...Probably at least a few weeks ago. Hyrule is very far from here, and I remember tracking them for quite a while. I just got here a couple days ago. Obviously they beat me here."

Lina nodded, keeping up with things so far.

"Okay," she said, "so we've covered that much. Do you have any idea how you ended up like you are now?"

Link sighed again, frowning in concentration. His fingers drummed on his leg as he tried to think.

"As far as I can guess, it must have been some sort of spell. But I'm not sure how much sense that would make. I don't know anyone around here, let alone anyone who'd have a reason to curse me."

Zelgadis closed his eyes, thinking as well.

"Do you think anyone you may have faced before," he offered, "some kind of enemy you have, might have followed you and set it up?"

Link thought about it for a moment, then shook his head.

"No, it couldn't be that," he answered, sounding disappointed. He had hoped the solution could be easy, but of course with his history, that wouldn't happen. "The only enemies I had who would be powerful enough to use that kind of magic are gone."

Everyone was trying to think of something now. Lina made a face, unsure of what else it could be.

"Well, it's not all that likely," she suggested, "but maybe you ran into some stray magic. Maybe someone set some curse out a little while back, meant for someone else, and it lingered long enough for you to get caught in it."

Link considered it, but agreed that the likelihood was rather low. He made a frustrated noise and flopped over on his back.

"I guess it's not important right now," he thought aloud. Then he had an idea. He sat up suddenly, and everyone looked at him curiously.

"Why didn't I think of it before," he said to no one in particular. "If this started in Hyrule, then that's probably where I need to go. I'm sure there's something there that will help me figure it out."

Lina smirked and stood, lifting him to his feet. The rest of the group stood too, knowing where this was about to go. Link blinked, looking at Lina in confusion.

"What do you mean that's where **you** need to go," Lina said, staring down at him. "We said we were going to help, didn't we? You've already gotten us involved, so we're going to follow through and help you figure this out. We're with you all the way, Link!"

Link blinked again, looking at the others. Gourry smiled wide. Amelia was bouncing in place, feeling excited. Zel offered a small, slightly dry smile. Link laughed a little, grinning and resting an arm behind his head. He held up his other hand.

"Alright, then," he said to Lina, "we have a deal. Let's do this." Lina grinned wider and shook his hand. The next big adventure had begun, and right on schedule.


	3. Into the Caverns

A couple days later, they were on the move. After the agreement was made that Lina and friends would help Link sort out what was going on, they had headed back to town. They helped as much as they could with the reconstruction of the town before calling it a night. The next day had been filled with the recapping of Link's story up until the mysterious event resulting in him becoming a child again.

"The last thing I remember," Link had explained over breakfast, "was being in some sort of tunnel system. I'd thought I'd heard someone down there, and went in to see if they needed help. Before I knew it, I was lost." He paused for a moment.

"Yeah, and..?" Lina prompted him to continue. She wanted to know as much as possible. It'd be much easier to figure out what caused the transformation-and to avoid it happening to them, too-if she knew all the facts.

Link sighed, rubbed his head, and shrugged.

"And nothing. All I can remember after that is a sudden drop, and then waking up as I am now." He made a face.

"It was definitely some kind of fall," he thought aloud, "and I must have hit my head on the way down, or I'd remember what happened. I must have struck it on the walls on the way down and blacked out."

"Hm...seems like a logical explanation," Lina replied, thinking as she spoke. She rubbed her chin, frowning in concentration. "But that's what worries me."

Link looked at her curiously.

"What do you mean by that," he asked, feeling a slight sensation of suspicion now, too. "You don't think..."

Zel finished the though for him.

"There's a good chance someone's behind it. It just doesn't add up right. It's all too strange, and too convenient."

"I told you guys before, though," Link interjected, "I don't have any enemies who are capable of doing this. At least none who are alive. I sure don't see why anyone around here would want to do this to me."

Lina frowned, concentrating harder. Then it hit her. She stood up.

"Maybe **you** don't," she said, "but we know someone who might."

Link nodded eagerly, standing with focus and determination in his eyes. He felt a sense of urgency, and had every intention to act on it.

"Alright, let's go talk to this person, then!"

"Whoa, hold on a minute! We can't just go barging right into it."

"Why not? If this person you know might have a lead, we need to get moving as soon as possible, right? The sooner we figure out what happened, the sooner I can get back to normal!"

"Hold your horses, alright?" Lina rubbed the back of her neck, sighing in exasperation. "You see, the thing is, the guy we're talking about isn't someone you find."

Link just stared at her as if she'd said his hair was made of leaves.

"Would you mind, oh, I don't know, explaining a bit more?"

A vain in Lina's head twitched ever so slightly.

"Hey, cool it, okay? I'm getting to it," she barked. "Geez, kids these days are so impatient."

Link was clearly not amused. It was bad enough to be in his current situation without people making jokes. Especially when said people were his only hope of getting things resolved.

Lina grinned and ruffled his hair.

"Chill," she teased, "it's just a joke. I'm trying to get you to calm down a little."

"The reason we can't just talk to this guy," Zelgadis interrupted, "is because he's an idiot who likes to play games instead of being useful. The only way we'll get a chance to talk to him about this is if he decides to show up unannounced to bother us." Zel's expression at this point made it very easy to figure out that he had a serious problem with this person they kept talking about, whomever he was.

Link sighed and sat back down. This whole process was turning out to be **a lot** more confusing and time-consuming than he'd like. _At least it's not the worst thing I've ever been through,_ he thought to himself. _But right now I get the feeling that it's going to get worse as it goes on. That's just the way things go in the life of a hero._

So, after a bit more discussion, they decided to figure out where Link had been when it all went down, and planned to head out for that spot the next morning. As it turned out, the area wasn't that far away at all. With any luck, they'd be able to get there within an hour at most. Once they figured out how Link had ended up in his predicament, they'd have a much easier time figuring out a way to change him back. The rest, like finding out who caused it and why, would have to wait.

They headed out early in the morning, following a map Link had drawn. It wasn't very professional-looking, but it was enough to give them a good idea of where they were headed. Sure enough, they made it there in no time at all. The entrance to the tunnels Link had gotten lost in, however, was a bit different than they'd expected.

"This doesn't seem right," Amelia said, shivering a little as she gazed at the gaping, black maw of the tunnel entrance.

"No, this is the place," Link said firmly. "I recognize it perfectly."

"No, no, that's not the problem," Lina said. She glanced at the cave mouth again and grimaced slightly. "The problem is** that.**"

Link raised an eyebrow.

"What about it?"

Lina made a nervous face. She gestured at it.

"You're telling me you don't get a weird feeling from that cave? The whole place just doesn't feel right. Even out here. There's just something...**wrong** about it."

Gourry scratched his cheek and tried not to look into the unsettling opening in the ground.

"You didn't feel anything weird when you came here last time? Nothing unusual?"

Link looked into the forbidding tunnel, thinking. It was hard to remember whether he'd felt anything or not. He'd been more focused on finding the source of that voice and trying to help than anything else. He shrugged.

"I might have," he admitted, "but that's the thing about me. I have the Triforce of Courage for a reason. I've been afraid of plenty of places I've had to go, and of plenty of enemies I've had to face. But courage is going through with what needs to be done, no matter how scared you are." In his eyes was a look of fierce strength and responsibility. He was carrying himself with the posture of the hero he was known to be. Lina had to admit to herself that he was shaping up to be everything the legends said. _He's pretty impressive, alright. This was him as a kid, just as much as it is now._

Amelia looked at Link with pure adoration. He was a model of everything she had been raised to fight for. She had always wanted to find out if his legends were true, and it was starting to look like she and her friends would get to be part of one.

"Some things are more important than fear," Link added softly. "I always understood that, even when I really was this age. I don't know why I've always been so quick to accept the responsibility of being a hero. Most kids would have spent a lot of time wondering if it was real, or being too scared. Most kids wouldn't even go near the things I was expected to face, let alone charge headlong into them and survive." He laughed a bit.

"Sometimes I wonder how I've survived this long. There have been times, I'll admit, when I crossed the fine line between bravery and stupidity. I had to sometimes, to get things done. Either that, or I was just being stubborn." He paused for a minute, looking down into the empty, endless darkness in front of them.

"The point is," he finally said, "that while I may have been nervous about this place, about going into it, I was too busy putting my concern for the welfare of whomever was down there first to care."

Everyone was quiet for a moment. It was strange to think that, even when he really** was** a child, he had this kind of wisdom. He may not have seen it as wisdom back then, and he may not have really thought much about it at all, but he had it within him even then. He knew that some things meant more than worrying about one's own fate.

Lina took a deep breath.

"Well, that's it, then," she said. "Let's get in there and find out what happened."

With that, they all headed down. Down into the darkness, where they would be vulnerable to whatever unnatural force may be within.


	4. Junior Heroes

It was dark. It was damp and cold. But that was normal; they were in an underground tunnel system. But what bothered Lina and the others was something else. Something they couldn't quite explain. The whole area just gave off an unnatural vibe. Something wasn't right about this place. But they were there on a mission, so they pressed on.

Link led them deeper and deeper into the tunnels, trying to retrace his steps. He seemed fairly certain of where he was going, which came as a surprise to the others, given that the entire place was one vast, gloomy maze.

"Are you sure you know where you're going, Link?" It was Gourry who had spoken up. "This whole place looks the same. I don't think I'd know how to get around, if it were me," he added.

"Yeah, well, that's because you have the memory of a goldfish, Gourry," Lina retorted. Gourry made a face, then shrugged. Link was focusing intently on their path ahead.

"I don't remember everything," he answered finally, "but I know it's somewhere around here. I'm really just going by my instincts right now."

Lina and the others exchanged looks. They were a little concerned, but they knew they had no choice but to trust him. _I just hope he knows what he's doing,_ Lina thought. _I mean I know he's been in his share of messes, but when he hardly remembers what happened to him, I can't help but feel a little nervous..._ She shook away the negative thoughts. _Aw, come on! What am I worried about? We can handle anything!_ But all the same, the oppressive environment of the caves they were exploring was always pushing down on their resolve, making them feel more and more unsure with each step they took.

After what must have been hours, they had stopped to rest. Link was becoming very frustrated; he had realized the tunnels were changing on their own, meaning he'd been leading them in circles all day long. Amelia hugged him, trying to convince him to relax.

"It's not your fault, Mr. Link," she murmured into his hat as she sat on the cave floor, holding the slightly reluctant and startled Link in her lap.

"She's right," Zelgadis added softly, looking around at the walls. Every so often, part of one would shift or slither a little in one direction, blocking off one path and creating another. "We all knew from the start that there was something unnatural about this place, and now we know what it is. These tunnels were created by magic, and powerful magic at that."

"Which means that something screwy is definitely going on here," Lina finished for him. She patted a wall that had just changed. "I wonder if there's a trick to it, or if it's designed to change at random."

Link sighed, wriggling out of Amelia's hug, much to the latter's dismay. He stood up and looked around at all the different walls. After a long, quiet minute, he sat back down, resigning.

"I guess there's no point trying to figure it out right now," he said. "We might as well get some rest, and try again later."

Amelia shivered.

"You don't mean..." her voice trailed off as she gazed down the cold, creepy tunnels all around them.

Lina rubbed her head and sighed.

"Yeah, he does," Lina said, "and I'm afraid we don't have a choice. We're gonna have to camp out down here, cuz there's no way we're getting outta here anytime soon."

With that, they all reluctantly settled in for the evening. Amelia made some of the food they had brought along, and the others laid out some seeping mats and blankets. They had planned to discuss a strategy over dinner, but for some reason, they all began to feel very sleepy as they ate. As soon as the food was gone, everyone went to bed, too tired to even say goodnight to one another. Link was the last one to fall asleep; he was also the first to awaken and see that something had gone very wrong.

The others all jerked awake at the sudden shout of alarm that had come from Link. They sat up, groggy and mumbling, not yet alert enough to realize what had happened. Link was sitting in the corner, gaping at them with his mouth and eyes wide open. Lina frowned at him, grumbling under her breath.

"What the heck was that abo-" she squeaked in a voice that wasn't her own. Or at least, it hadn't been her voice for about seven years. She paused, cleared her throat, then tried again.

"Why did you-" she said, then yelped, putting her hands over her throat. She looked at the rest of the group, all of whom were staring at her. Her eyes went as large as dinner plates. Everyone exchanged looks, and slowly, it all sank in. Whatever force had changed Link must have preyed upon them as well, morphing them while they slept. They had each become seven years younger than they had been the night before.

Link grimaced.

"This is** really** bad..."


	5. A Change of Plans

"WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON HERE?!"

Lina was livid, her face turning bright red as her rage drove all the blood into her face. She was utterly freaking out, and no one wanted to get near her, for fear of what might happen. Lina was dangerous enough on a normal basis, let alone when she was angry.

"This is insane," she blurted, tugging on her hair in frustration. "It makes no sense at all!"

Zel sighed, sitting on the ground. He was irritated, not so much because of the unexplained transformation, but the fact that, for some reason, he was still a chimera. Just a much smaller one. He hadn't actually aged backward, he had just gotten smaller. He suspected the case was the same for everyone else, Link included.

"She's right," he said softly, calmly turning the situation over and over in his head, trying to sort things out. "It doesn't follow the pattern at all. What little of one there was to begin with, anyway. Link said that he woke up to find himself changed after having fallen through the ground. But all we did was go to sleep. It doesn't connect."

Lina's cheeks puffed up as if she were about to explode again, but instead she let out a distraught and frustrated sigh, sliding down the wall and sitting in a slump on the ground.

"This just keeps getting better..." Lina moaned, starting to feel like she was getting a headache from all the confusion and stress.

Gourry hugged a very upset Amelia, rubbing her back to try and soothe her.

"More confusing, and more weird, actually," he mumbled. Lina opened her mouth to tell him she had been being sarcastic, using figure of speech, but closed it promptly, realizing she had neither the will nor energy at the moment.

Link was banging his head on a wall. He couldn't help feeling like this was somehow his fault, and now things were even more complicated than they had already been. Zelgadis slowly reached a hand out and grabbed Link's head, stopping him.

"That's not going to make it better, Link," he said quietly. Link huffed and pulled his head free.

"Now what do we do?" The squeaky question had come from Amelia, who was sitting in the corner with Gourry, feeling very, very freaked out. Gourry patted her head, still trying to be comforting.

Link had an idea. He turned to face the rest of the group, all of whom looked at him attentively. They could sense he had a plan of sorts, and any idea of how to get out of this mess was a good one, in their opinions. Link clenched his fists, feeling determined despite the complicated mess they were in.

"We're going to Hyrule," he said firmly. "Something tells me that whatever's going on, we'll find our answers, and a solution, there."

Lina got up. She was unsure, but she realized they didn't exactly have much choice. Besides, anything was worth a try, and sometimes following hunches worked out in one's favor. She nodded, which prompted the others to get up and ready, too.

"Well," she said, "whatever you think is going to work, we're willing to give it a try. We're with you til the end, buddy."

Link grinned. He'd been in some strange and difficult situations many times in his life, but he'd learned that with focus, determination, and a little bit of luck, (and sometimes, a little help,) there was no problem that couldn't be solved. With that, everyone gathered their things, and prepared to find their way out.

It turned out to be a lot easier than trying to find their way around on the way in. They got lost a few times, but with some brainstorming and a couple clever tricks, they finally found their way back to the entrance (or rather, a different entrance that turned out to be on the other side of the cave system.) They emerged into the sunlight of day, wincing a bit after being in the dark underground for so long, but very glad to be free.

Lina stretched, enjoying the warmth and light after what felt like ages in the cold, damp tunnels. She turned to Link, who was clearly enjoying the sun just as much as everyone else. She grinned.

"Well, time for you to take charge," she said to him. "Lead the way."

Link nodded, looked around for a minute to gain his bearings, then turned to the west and started walking. The rest of the motley crew of adventurers followed suit, beginning their epic journey to a world they'd never seen before.

"Another big adventure," Gourry said, stretching with an arm behind his head.

Link smiled. He'd been thinking the same thing.

"Yeah," he replied. "It feels good."


	6. Link Loses His Head

It took them nearly 3 months to get to Hyrule. Even as far away as Hyrule was, it should only have taken half that time. But the sudden change in their sizes had really thrown their systems for a loop; they had much less energy than they normally should have, and they had a harder time getting past obstacles that would be nothing to them in their natural states. All the same, they were glad to have finally made it. It was a couple hours before sunrise when they finally entered Hyrule Field.

"Man, oh, man," Gourry sighed, "am I ever glad we're finally here. It's** never** taken us that long to get anywhere before!" He sat on the ground, panting slightly. He wasn't used to getting winded so easily, much less when he hadn't been running. He flopped over, lying flat on his back in the cool grass. The others were more than eager to follow suit. It took all the energy they had left to keep themselves from falling asleep.

"No kidding," Lina murmured, rolling over on her stomach.

Link sat up, brushing himself off. He looked over his shoulder. He narrowed his eyes. He could have sworn he'd heard something moving a moment ago...Zel looked around, too. He, like Link, could hear better than the others. Just like Link, he was picking up on something. Lina, Gourry, and Amelia finally noticed something was up. They looked at Link and Zel, then listened around, watching everything.

Link stood, drawing his tiny Kokiri sword. He remembered the first time he'd held it. The feeling of nostalgia blanketed him. He stayed alert. Now, just like that fateful day when he really was a young boy, he needed that little blade to protect himself and those around him. _Just like then..._ he thought to himself, as, suddenly, many memories of that first great adventure span around and around, chasing each other inside his mind. _Back when I thought I was a Kokiri...When I was inside the Deku Tree...When I went to Death Mountain, and Zora River...all the temples..._ He felt himself tearing up. _All of the friends I made...and lost..._

There was a sudden, sharp sound, like two swords grazing each other. At the exact same moment, a blinding, multi-colored light flashed. Link staggered, falling backward and landing hard on his back. He gasped, in total shock and unaware of what was going on. He couldn't see anything but a brilliant, empty whiteness. The others were all shading their eyes from the bright light, which was still shining. Then all at once, the light faded, and as everyone looked back up, they realized the light had been coming from Link's forehead. After a minute, Link slowly pulled himself into a sitting position. He rubbed his head and looked around, finally able to see again. His head felt strangely light as he stood up again.

As Link and the others stood, a high-pitched cackling rose up from the ground, and several large, hooded, ghost-like figures rose into the air. In the center of the circle was a tall, sinister-looking person holding a large, opalescent orb in his hands. Lina, Link, and the rest of the group all stood firm, glaring at the figures. Lina didn't know what was going on, but she wasn't about to let it go down without her trying to stop it. She stepped forward and opened her mouth, but as she did so, the cackling started again, growing so loud and high that it was ear-splitting. Lina covered her ears, yelling in pain. The others were doing the same.

Link forced his eyes open, having been squeezing them shut in reaction to the pain. He took his hands from his ears, growled, and slammed a foot down on the ground, stepping closer to the ring of specters. All at once, the creatures looked at him, and the laughter stopped like someone had sliced through it with an ax.

Link opened his mouth to say something, but the humanoid being in the center of the ring held up a hand, the other hand still holding the orb. A wicked grin spread across his face, and he leaned forward, reaching his free hand out toward Link's face. Link didn't even flinch, but instead kept a wary eye on the outstretched hand. The tall figure stretched out one, long finger, lining it up with Link's forehead. Link stood completely still, Link stood completely still, his fists clenched. The man's twisted smile spread even wider. He tossed the orb straight up in the air, then gave Link's forehead a sharp tap, the claw on the end of his finger breaking Link's skin. The orb shattered, and shards of it flew in every direction. Link screamed, holding his head. It felt as if someone were jamming spades into his head and scooping everything out of his brain. All at once things went quiet. The ghosts and man were gone, and all that was left was the rag-tag group of adventurers. Link knelt in the middle, clutching his head in agony. Amelia rushed over to try to help, but Link shook his head slowly, wobbling as he got up yet again.

"That was horrible..." he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. He looked at the others, curious. "I wasn't able to watch everything...are you guys okay? They didn't hurt anyone, did they?" He looked at his friends, all of whom were staring at him as if he were speaking another language. His brows furrowed.

"What," Link asked quickly, getting a little anxious, though he wasn't sure why, "is there something wrong?"

The others exchanged looks. They started talking in hushed voices, and though Link could understand them, they didn't seem to think he could. He frowned deeply. He opened his mouth to say something, but halted when he realized what was wrong. Thinking back to the previous moment, he realized that he was no longer speaking English. He was speaking Hylian. He tried again to speak to his friends.

"This is too weird," he said. He gritted his teeth, his eyes shutting tightly. He was getting very frustrated. It still wasn't working. He screamed a little to vent his frustration. Zel put a hand on his shoulder, giving him a calm, reassuring look.

"We'll figure out what's wrong," he said softly, "and we'll find a solution. One way or another."

Link sighed, forcing himself to relax. He could do nothing but nod. Everyone faced each other in a small circle. They needed to regroup and figure out some sort of plan. But before anyone could so much as bat an eyelash, a tiny, jingling voice rang out from around a nearby tree.

"Hey!"

Link's eyes widened. He looked toward the tree, staring at it as if if were the most fascinating thing he'd ever seen. Then his mouth split in a wide, happy grin. Gourry and Amelia blinked. Zel raised an eyebrow. Lina scratched her head. _Man, this just keeps getting weirder..._ The voice called out again, and this time it was followed by a tiny, glowing, humanoid figure, which floated directly over to Link.

"Hey!" the fairy squeaked, bouncing off Link's forehead. Link stumbled, grunting in surprise. He made a slight face, but then his smile returned.

"Navi," he shouted, clearly excited, "it's you! I can't believe it!" He'd have hugged her if he could. Navi bounced off his head again.

"Link," she scolded, though her tone was loving, "what did you do this time? Can't you do anything without getting yourself in some kind of mess?"

"I don't know what's going on, honestly. It's all just one big mystery."

"Well, whatever the case," Navi said with a sigh, "you're gonna need all the help you can get. Lucky for you, I know a way to get you **and** your friends back to normal. Just follow me." With that, she flitted off toward an ordinary-looking hole in the ground. Link followed, and, though none of them had a clue what the conversation had been about, the others followed too. Navi floated down into the hole. Link gave his friends a quick look and a small smile, then jumped down after her. Lina shrugged.

"Well, we've come this far," she said, "and at least he seems to be friends with her. We might as well." Then she jumped down the hole as well, and one-by-one, the others followed.


	7. The Fairy, the Crystals, and the Hero

It was a short, smooth ride. Everyone slid slowly down a long tunnel that led from the hole they had jumped into- and ended up in one of the most beautiful rooms Lina and her friends had ever seen. The walls were draped in endless, gently-flowing water that cascaded into shallow pools on either side of a long, white, stone walkway. The entire room had a lovely, strangely soothing purple-blue glow about it. At the far end of the room was a large, beautiful fountain; it seemed to be the most important part, as on the floor in front of it was the Triforce symbol.

"Whoa," Lina murmured breathlessly. "Where **are** we?"

Navi the fairy floated around them in slow circles.

"This is the fountain of the Great Fairy," she chimed in her high voice. "She can help you get back to normal. She was the one who sent me!"

Amelia smiled, wanting to hold Navi, but restraining herself.

"So this is her home, then," Amelia said softly. "It's lovely. If I were a fairy, I'd want to live here, too."

Gourry scratched his head. He looked around, noting something no one else had yet commented on.

"Yeah, it's nice," he mumbled in a confused voice, "but there's one thing missing..."

Link nodded, knowing where he was going with that thought. He walked up the long, stone path and stood upon the Triforce symbol engraved in the stone. He pulled out the Ocarina of Time, and played a soft, slow song; it sounded like some sort of lullaby, and added to the overall peacefulness of the fountain. After playing a few lines, Link put the ocarina away and stood still, watching the fountain. Everyone else slowly gathered around, waiting to see what would happen. They toppled backward a moment later, startled, when the Great Fairy erupted out of the middle of the fountain as if from nowhere, emitting a high, sharp laugh. Link remained calm; clearly he'd been through this several times before. The Great Fairy was very large, even in comparison to most full-grown people, and clothed only in vines. Her long, vivid, magenta hair flowed behind her in three long, thick tails. She smiled upon seeing them, particularly Link. She spoke in English so that Lina and crew could understand, knowing that though Link couldn't _speak_ it at the moment, he still understood it well.

"It's been a long time," she said calmly, "hasn't it, Link?" Her smiled faded a bit. "I only wish it weren't trouble that brought you here to see me after all this time..." She sighed, looking down at the water beneath her for a moment. When she raised her head, she was smiling again.

"You are very lucky to have found good friends to help you, Link," she continued, "for although you've been able to succeed in many quests before with little or no aid, you surely have noticed that this is nothing like anything you've faced before. In this adventure, you will need your new friends, and they will need you, too. Treasure them, Link. Trust them to guide you. I know it may be hard for you to work with a team, having nearly always been by yourself before, but you must." She paused. Everyone was listening with rapt attention, looking directly at her as she spoke. The Great Fairy suddenly produced, as if from nowhere, a small, shining, white crystal. Link blinked, feeling strangely drawn to this little gem. The Great Fairy smiled, nodding slightly.

"You feel it pulling toward you, and that's good," she said softly. She held the crystal out closer to him as she spoke. "That orb those Poes and that stranger had was taken from your mind, Link. Nearly everything you've learned on all your adventures- what your enemies are and how to fight them, where to go and who to talk to, and more- all of those things are gone from your memory because of a curse those creatures cast on you when you arrived in Hyrule." She paused again. "And, unfortunately, that isn't all they took."

Link's eyes widened. He grabbed at his pockets and his pack, trying to find his things. To his shock, all but his Kokiri sword and little wooden shield were gone. He blurted his thoughts aloud, still speaking only in the Hylian tongue.

"I have to get everything back! I can't stop whatever's going on without my gear!" He was becoming pale, and his breathing was heavy. Amelia hugged him, hating to see a friend upset. He slowly forced himself to calm down. _What's going on?_ he thought somewhat frantically. _This isn't like me, to panic like this..._ Navi settled gently on his shoulder, hoping to be of some small comfort. Strangely, Link felt himself calming much faster now. He looked up at the Great Fairy, and the little glowing shard that floated in her hand. The latter began to slowly float to him, stopping a foot in front of him and hovering before his eyes. It was very bright, yet somehow it didn't seem to hurt his eyes. He stared at it in wonder.

"This little crystal," the Great Fairy explained, "is a piece of the memories and knowledge that were stolen from you. There are many of these, and they have all been scattered across the kingdom. It is up to you and your friends to find each of these, so that you can regain all the information you've lost. You'll have to locate and retrieve all the materials, tools, and weapons that were taken, as well." She smiled, a small, sly smile. "Though I expect you may find many of your things in the same places, if you look hard enough." She paused, taking a minute to gather her thoughts. Link blinked, a question rising in his mind.

"But...once I find these crystals," he asked respectfully, "how am I to regain the things inside them?" His gaze left the floating shard and glided up to the face of the fairy floating above the fountain. Said fairy smiled, leaned forward over the edge of her fountain, and ever so gently, pressed the shining gem into the very center of Link's forehead. There was a bright flash, and Link's body relaxed all at once. His eyes glowed the bright, shimmering white of the crystal, and his head tilted back slightly. Everyone stared, unable to think or move, until after a long moment, Link gave a heavy gasp, his eyes returning to normal. He stood up straight, rubbing his head. He looked at the clustered group behind him, suddenly feeling the need to try something.

"Did..." he breathed, his voice a tense hush, "Did anything happen?"

Every face in front of him broke into wide smiles, and Lina bounded up and clapped him on the back. Link realized now that he was able to speak English again; he smiled too, glad to be able to communicate with the others again. Then, everyone looked to the Great Fairy once more. She nodded, giving a quiet smile. She held out her hands, and a sparkling, colorful sort of magic energy flowed forth from her and spiraled around each of the small, childlike forms standing on the walkway. The magic grew and grew, enveloping them, and they felt a strange tingling sensation as their bodies morphed back to their natural sizes. Slowly, the glow of the magic faded, and everyone looked themselves over, smiling gratefully. They looked up at the Great Fairy, who smiled back at them.

"Things should be easier now that you're back to normal, and able to communicate properly," she said. "You all have a long and difficult journey ahead, and you may find that many things are not what they seem. Your strength may fail you at times, and your magic may sometimes be weak, but you have to keep going, no matter what happens." She paused yet again, concentrating.

"I'm sorry to say," she added after a couple of minutes, "that I have little idea what the situation is right now. Strange forces are at work, and I have a feeling that this is something much worse than anyone has seen before." She looked at the team again.

"You must be careful," she said. "Trust each other, and let nothing stand in your way." She smiled warmly. "I believe in you. All of you."

Everyone smiled back, feeling determined and very, very glad for all her help and advice. The Great Fairy drifted back toward the center of her fountain.

"If you ever need my help, come and see me again." With that, she spun gracefully down into the water and beyond, emitting the same shrill laugh as before. Navi floated up onto Link's head, drawing everyone's attention. They all looked at him for a minute, impressed and a little stunned. This was their first look at him as he truly looked, and it was definitely the look of the hero people knew from the legends. Lina grinned and gave his arm a playful jab.

"So," she said energetically, "where to now?"

Link was quiet for a minute, then led them outside. As they emerged, Link looked around, and his friends all watched him, waiting for his word. This was his world they were in, and even without his memories, he knew more about it than they did. Link gave a strange smile, looking back at them.

"I have no idea," he admitted, still smiling. "But there's nowhere we can't go, and there's bound to be stuff we need in every direction." He looked out at the horizon, where a warm, golden sun was rising.

"Right now, it doesn't matter where we go," he said in a very assured, focused tone. "All we have to do...is just go." Then he walked off, heading toward a forest on the other end of the field, with his friends close behind.


	8. Advice from the Sky

As the morning sun rose gently over the tree tops in the early morning, Link and his companions arrived just on the edge of a strange forest. There was a mixed vibe about this place; it was peaceful, yet at the same time, it seemed to bear a slightly eerie energy. Lina got the feeling that this wasn't the sort of place you wanted to get lost in, but that could be very nice if you knew where to go. Link stared into the dark, gaping maw of a tunnel made from a massive, hollow log. This seemed to be the only entrance to the woods, and it didn't look entirely friendly. Link hesitated.

Zelgadis set a hand on his shoulder. He gave Link a calm, reassuring look.

"We understand how weird and difficult this must be for you," he said softly. "Just remember that we're here to help, even if we don't know what to do any more than you do. That's the whole point of teamwork."

Gourry nodded, smiling.

"He's right," Gourry stated warmly, "there's no problem we can't figure out if we put our heads together. We've been in some pretty big messes before, and we always found a way out."

Lina grinned, setting her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, so let's get going already," she exclaimed. "We've got places to go, things to find, and bad guy butts to kick!"

Link smiled a bit, very glad to have their support. But as he stepped forward toward the massive log-tunnel, a loud, repetitive sound sliced the air. It seemed to come from the air.

"What in the world," Zel muttered, shielding his eyes against the sunlight as he looked up. "What _is_ that?"

"It sounds like wings," chirped Amelia, also watching the sky. "Really **big** wings. I wonder if it's a giant bird!"

Link's brows knitted as he frowned in concentration. Something about those wing-beats and the mention of a giant bird made a vague memory surface in his mind. He had the sudden, fuzzy image of some massive avian creature landing near him, and felt a slight sense of dread overcome him. This feeling rose, showing on his face, when a gigantic owl with long, narrow eyebrows flapped to a landing on a nearby branch. The memory cleared inside his head, and he made an uncomfortable face.

Navi giggled uncomfortably.

"Oh, boy," she whispered. "Here we go again..."

The entire group looked at the enormous bird as it sat on the branch, tilting its head as it looked them over. This was the largest bird they'd ever seen, and the strange eyebrows and odd, eye-like spots on its chin made it look even more weird. The real shock, however, didn't come from the owl's size, nor its unique features. The real surprise was when he started speaking. They had seen talking animals before, but somehow it still threw them for a loop. The owl directed its gaze at Link as it began speaking, but everyone except Link and Navi kept their eyes on the owl.

"Link," the huge bird droned in a very dull voice, "it's been a long seven years. You've grown quite a bit in all this time."

"I'm the same size I was when I went forward in time to stop Ganondorf, genius..." Link muttered.

The owl didn't seem to have heard him. Its dull, boring voice continued.

"I'm sure you've realized that something is very wrong, and that you have an even more difficult voyage ahead of you than ever before."

"Gee, you think?"

Still no response came from the owl in regard to Link's snide remarks.

"I know you can do this. Your reputation as a legendary hero is well-earned, and you have much more help now than in the past. But I see you're missing a few things that may be useful, and I think I have something that may be of great help."

The owl raised one large, heavy wing, showing the inside of it. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary (the unusual size aside) at first. With a firm shake of his wings, the owl freed two large objects from within the feathers; these items landed right at Link's feet. Link stared, then grinned and retrieved them from the ground. The items were a large, heavy shield with some sort of insignia, like a family crest, and a long, magnificent blade with a wing-like hilt, inside an ornately patterned blue-and-yellow sheath. Link unsheathed the sword and looked at the sword, smiling with a fierce sense of determination and a hero's pride as it caught the light, glinting brightly.

"Wow," Lina whispered, amazed at the quality of the sword. "So that's...?"

"The Master Sword, yes," the owl hummed, still watching Link.

Link sheathed the sword, then hung it over his back by the strap, hanging the shield over it. He looked at the owl and nodded.

"Thanks, Kaepora," he said gratefully.

Kaepora tilted his head again, bobbing slightly as he perched upon his branch.

"Unfortunately, this is all I can give you, along with one piece of advice. Listen closely when you're searching for your memories. If you pay attention, you may hear traces of old knowledge and missing memories drifting to you as you get near to the pieces. Open your mind, and search everywhere. Listen to your heart, not your mind, and let the shards find their way home. Do you understand what I've said?"

Link made a face again._ I should have known it'd only be nice for a moment._ He nodded, and Kaepora flapped to the sky again.

"Go forth, Link. The fates of both worlds depends on you and your friends. Be the hero you were always meant to be." With that, he flew off. Link sighed.

"Yeesh," Lina mumbled, "what a blowhard. You know that geezer?"

Link looked as if what he wanted most in the world would be to say no. Lina grimaced.

"Sorry about that," she said sheepishly.

Gourry had fallen asleep, leaning against a tree. Kaepora's voice was just too boring to keep his attention, and he had passed out from the boredom. Lina elbowed him in the ribs, and he yelped and jerked to attention.

"Wha..." he babbled groggily. "What happened?"

Lina sighed, putting a hand over her face.

"Idiot," she grumbled.

Zel looked a little dazed. He shook his head, trying to clear it, and looked at Link.

"**How **do you know him?" Zel asked in a flat tone.

"He was a friend of the Great Deku Tree. He "helped" me a lot in my first adventure."

"I don't envy you for having to put up with that..."

"I know. I don't blame you."

Lina cleared her throat.

"Alright," she said loudly, making sure she had everyone's attention, "now that Link's got a decent weapon and shield, how about we get moving? We've got a lot to do, and not a whole lot of time to laze around."

Link nodded, then turned toward the tunnel. Without another moment of doubt or contemplation, he strolled through, the others in tow.

The other side of the tunnel opened in a small clearing, in which the only thing in reach was a short bridge made of rope and a few narrow, wooden boards. Link walked across this bridge, listening around at the sounds of the forest around them. Somewhere, a raven cawed, and countless crickets chirped in the grass below. Another giant log tunnel stood at the far end. Link paused in the middle of the bridge, staring at a spot off to one side. A far-off look was in his eyes as he tried to gather another fuzzy memory.

He saw his childhood self standing there, Navi floating around his head in little circles. Standing in front of him was a girl dressed in clothes similar to his, and cute, green hair. Her eyes looked sad as she handed Young Link a little wooden ocarina. A soft voice escaped her mouth, but Link couldn't understand her words. His child self backed up a few steps, looking confused and anxious, then turned and ran out the tunnel they had just come from. Link was shocked to see tears welling up in his past self's eyes as he ran past. He looked out the tunnel for a moment, tears starting to come to his own eyes now. Something about this memory filled him with sorrow, even if it weren't a complete memory. He couldn't remember what had happened, only that it was something that had made him very upset. The rest of the team looked at him with concern, not sure what to say or do. They wanted to comfort him, but they knew that they had to let him deal with his recovery on his own. They were **his** memories, and he needed to get them back naturally.

Link turned and looked at the sad little girl again, not wanting to walk away. But she faded away as she stood there, and with a firm shake of his head, Link cleared his head and walked on through the next tunnel, followed by Lina and crew.


	9. His Earliest Memories

Beyond the second tunnel was an adorable little village, filled with children. All of these children were wearing strange green clothes very much like Link's, and most of them were redheads. There was one boy sitting by the end of the tunnel, his hair in his eyes. He glanced over as Link led Lina and the others into the little town. A broad smile crossed his face.

"Hey, mister," he said to Link, "long time no see!"

Lina blinked, looking from Link to the boy, then back.

She waited until they were out of the kid's earshot before asking, "you know that kid?"

Link was quiet for a minute, looking around at the little homes built into the trees, and all the kids roaming about. Something _did_ seem familiar about all of this, but it was taking a moment to come to him.

"I...I think so," he mumbled, feeling a little dazed. He walked forward, carefully observing everything around him. Lina followed, leading the rest of the group along. Link stopped now and then, confused by all the mixed feelings this place brought him. He felt nostalgic somehow, but at the same time, he could sense rising feelings of sadness, of being very lonely. The image of the green-haired girl on the bridge drifted back to the front of his mind. He held his head in one hand, closing his eyes as a name came to him.

"Saria..."

There was a long, empty silence. Link raised his head, his eyes landing on a little house nearby. It was on lower ground than the others, and there was a ladder leading up to the door. Link walked over, feeling strangely drawn to it. He stopped near the base of the ladder, his gaze falling to a cluster of little drawings carved into the bark of the tree. There was one of some sort of monster, and what looked like a very rough, child-like drawing of Link fighting it. Link's eyes widened. Slowly, the memories were coming back. He stared at the drawings a moment longer, than looked up at the ladder. The others waited, letting him sort things out. To their slight surprise, Link climbed the ladder and entered the little house. Lina shrugged, then followed him up. Gourry and Amelia followed after. Zelgadis was a little more hesitant. The ladder looked old, and he wasn't sure it'd hold his weight. With a sigh, he climbed up it; thankfully, it held.

Inside, Link was looking around, his eyes full of wonder.

"I remember now," he whispered, more to himself than his friends. "This was my home...When I was a kid..." His eyes became a little bit sad.

"Back when I thought I was one of them..." he continued, looking out the window at the back of the room. He was quiet for a long minute, before sighing and siting down on the tiny bed that rested beneath the lone window.

Gourry gave link a small smile, trying to be comforting.

"So I guess the stories about your childhood are true, huh," he said. He sat on the floor, there being nowhere else to sit besides the bed. "But hey, at least they seem to like you now."

Link gave a short, bittersweet laugh.

"They don't even know it's me, Gourry," he said quietly. "The Link they knew wandered out of the forest one day, and never came back. They never knew I wasn't really one of them, that someday I'd grow up."

Lina rubbed the back of her head.

"So," she mumbled, "why don't you just tell them it's you?"

Zel nodded.

"I'm sure that if you explained things, they'd believe you," he added.

Link shook his head slowly. Navi flitted out from under his hat.

"I said the same thing back when we first got done in the Forest Temple. The Kokiri were all very excited and grateful to him, and a couple times they mentioned that if he ever saw their friend, the Link they knew, if he would let them know they missed him, and that they were sorry they made him feel like an outcast for not having a fairy. I asked him why he wouldn't want them to know the truth, and he said-"

"I told her," Link finished for her, "that I didn't want to tell them because at least this way, when I come back, it can be as a friend. They may have realized they saw me that way all along, but it's easier to let them believe that the Link they knew is somewhere out in the big, wide world outside the forest. I can't explain it. I just feel like...it's better this way."

No one knew quite what to say. Link sat on the little bed, softly running his hand over the pillow. He began to remember all the nightmares he'd been having just before the adventure had started, before the Deku Tree had called for him, and told him that it was his destiny to leave and save Hyrule. His brows knitted as he suddenly called to mind the words Kaepora had said.

"_If you pay attention, you may hear traces of old knowledge and missing memories drifting to you as you get near to the pieces. Open your mind, and search everywhere._"

He lifted the pillow, then put it back when he found nothing under it. He looked up at Lina, who caught on and nodded.

"Come on, guys, let's help him look," she ordered. "There must be something around here if things are coming back to him so fast."

They looked everywhere, even going outside and looking behind the tree. After several minutes, they had looked everywhere and found nothing. Link frowned. _We must have missed something...There has to be one here... _He sighed, rubbing his head. He moved a bit too quickly, though, and his hat was pushed off of his head. It opened a bit as it fell, catching the air and being swept under the bed. Before he could kneel to get it, Amelia had bent down to pick it up for him. She bent down to reach under the bed, and gave a small, very excited gasp. Link's heart skipped a beat, his hope rising. His hopes were confirmed when, bright-eyed -and glowing with pride at having been able to find it- Amelia produced a small, bright-green crystal. She handed it to him, along with his hat, and Link smiled. He gave her a small hug. Amelia beamed and hugged back, feeling ecstatic to have been able to help.

"Great work, Amelia," Lina said, smiling wide. Everyone looked at Link as he braced himself.

"Here we go," he said in a hushed, slightly excited voice. "Memory shard two of Nayru knows how many."

He pressed it into his forehead, and his eyes glowed a brilliant green. Memories flooded his mind. He saw his journey into the depths of the Deku Tree, his battle with Gohma, receiving the Kokiri emerald, wandering the maze of the Lost Woods, solving puzzles and defeating Phantom Ganon inside the Forest Temple. After a minute, he relaxed, his eyes returning to normal. He looked up at the rest of the group.

"I know where we need to go," he said with grim determination. Ready, the others nodded. Link left his childhood home, and headed outside. With friends in tow, he headed toward the woods just behind a nearby house. It was time for things to get serious.


	10. Hooking a Friend

Soon, Link and friends were standing at the edge of a strange new part of the forest. The eerie quiet was broken only by the cawing of birds and the faint chirps of the insects. The trees were huge and thick, forming solid walls around them. The only ways out were giant logs, much like the one they walked through to enter the Kokiri village. It felt like they were in a small room rather than in the woods. Lina shivered a little.

"Geez," she muttered, "this place is a little creepy."

"No kidding," Zel added, "I don't think this is the kind of place we want to get lost in."

Link nodded solemnly. He looked around for a moment, using his newly recovered memories to gain their bearings. He remembered, vaguely, the way to go, but the map was coming together rather slowly in his mind; he'd have to let it settle before they'd get anywhere. He was about to mention this when something drew his focus; he looked toward the left path. It felt like something was drawing him in that direction. His brows knitted; his memory was telling him they should go right first. But he couldn't ignore his instincts. He headed to the left, leading his friends along.

On the other side of the line of trees were two stumps. One was large and flat, the other tall and a bit more narrow. Atop the tall stump was a strange but kind of cute little childlike creature dressed in a scarecrow outfit. He was dancing happily as he played a rather upbeat, happy song on a little wooden flute. The song seemed rather fitting for the forest around him. Amelia smiled, cupping her hands over her cheeks.

"Oh," she cooed, "how cute." She stepped a little closer, only to be pulled back abruptly by Link.

Navi floated out from under Link's hat.

"Be careful, Amelia!" The fairy said urgently. "That's a Skull Kid, and they really don't like grown-ups. You shouldn't get near one unless you really have to."

Zelgadis glanced up at the Skull Kid. After a moment, he noticed something glinting on top of the stump, near the latter's feet. He sighed.

"Well," he mumbled, "looks like we might have to."

Everyone looked at him, and he responded to their unspoken question by pointing at the object which was reflecting the light. It was hard to see from this low angle, but it seemed to have some sort of arrow-like metal tip and a handle. Link's eyes widened a bit. He sighed as well.

"Well that's great," he grumbled.

Lina crossed her arms. She didn't see the big deal.

"So what," she declared, rather loudly, "we can just chase him off and take it." Without further warning, she stormed over and jumped up on the lower stump.

Before Lina could open her mouth, the Skull Kid dropped his song in mid-note, and raised his flute like a dart-blower. Without missing a beat, he began pelting her with sharp stones, not relenting until she had hopped down and fled to the shadows, where Link was waiting with a look of disapproval. Lina's cheeks turned red, and she mumbled something huffily as she leaned back against one of the trees near them.

"Stupid, rotten little thing..." she mumbled. Amelia gently checked the cuts and nicks where stones had struck Lina's face.

Link glanced over at the Skull Kid, who had returned to playing his music as if nothing had happened.

Amelia was also thinking._ "They really don't like grown-ups."_ She got an idea, and slowly started walking over. Gourry grabbed her arm gently, stopping her.

"Amelia, no," he said with a firm, almost brotherly tone. "You saw how that thing reacted to Lina. Don't make the same mistake, okay?"

Amelia smiled brightly.

"Don't worry, Mr. Gourry," she said confidently, "I know just what to do."

Something about her face and tone of voice at that moment almost made Gourry want to believe her. He exchanged looks with everyone else. Link looked closely at Amelia, then nodded slowly. He was starting to see where Amelia was going with this.

"Let her try," he commanded.

Gourry let go. Amelia walked out of the shadows, then skipped merrily over to the stump. Skull Kid was watching her carefully. As she hopped up on the stump, he raised his flute again. Everyone waiting on the sidelines grimaced, holding their breath. Amelia flopped down into a kneeling position on the low stump, smiling up at the creature aiming a loaded weapon at her. Skull Kid paused, narrowing his beady, glowing eyes. He lowered the flute a bit, peering at her suspiciously.

"Hi," Amelia chirped, making her voice just a little higher than usual.

Skull Kid tilted his head, putting his flute down. He sat on his stump, watching her carefully.

Amelia smiled wider. She pulled out a little ball from her pocket and held it up. Skull Kid's attention was drawn to the small object. Link stared, fully grasping Amelia's plan now. He held his breath, hoping it'd work. Lina and the others were just as stunned.

"I have this ball here," Amelia told the strange boy atop the other stump. "Do you wanna play catch with me?"

Skull Kid's eyes widened a bit. He held a finger to his mouth, as if thinking about it. After a moment he hopped up, nodding.

"Okay," he exclaimed eagerly. "It's been a long time since I had someone to play with." He looked down a bit.

"I had a friend once, about 7 years ago," he added, "but he went away and I haven't seen him since."

Link's eyes widened, then closed. He turned away slightly, rubbing the back of his head. Gourry smiled a weak but comforting smile, gently patting Link's back. Link sighed, then after a moment smiled just a little. He looked back up at Skull Kid.

"I'm sorry, Skull Kid," he whispered. Lina felt bad for him. She gripped his shoulder.

"Hey," she declared firmly, "it's not your fault. You were gonna grow up one way or another. You couldn't have stayed here to be friends with him."

Link nodded slowly. He knew, but that didn't make it feel much better.

Amelia, meanwhile, had already begun playing catch with Skull Kid. They both seemed to be having a lot of fun. After a few minutes, Skull Kid held the ball in his little hands, looking at Amelia. He gently tossed the ball back.

"Thanks," he said softly. "That was really fun!"

Amelia smiled a big, warm smile at him. She looked at the ball for a moment, then tossed it back up to him. Skull Kid blinked, staring at her, then the ball, then back.

"I want you to keep it," Amelia said sweetly, "to remember me by." She giggled.

"Cuz we're friends now, right?" She added.

Skull Kid stared a moment, then laughed. He nodded vigorously.

"Yeah, okay," he exclaimed, "friends forever!" He stood there for a moment, then seemed to have an idea. He picked up the object by his feet and gently tossed it to Amelia. Amelia caught it carefully.

"I want you to have something too," Skull Kid said happily.

"And hey," he added, "if you ever see a kid in a silly green hat, be sure to tell him..." He paused.

"Be sure to tell him Skull Kid says hi. And tell him we're still friends, even if we don't see each other anymore. You'll do that for me, right?"

Amelia nodded, still smiling, and fought back tears. She felt touched at the fact that Skull Kid was forgiving Link for never coming back. She nodded hard.

"Of course I will," she responded. She stood up slowly.

Skull Kid chuckled a bit.

"Hey, you're not so bad," he admitted with a smirk, "for a grown-up." With that, he disappeared.

Amelia blinked, then walked over to her friends. She handed the little device Skull Kid gave her to Link, who was wiping happy tears from his eyes.

Amelia smiled wider still and hugged him.

"Hey, Mr. Link," she mumbled into his tunic, "an old friend of yours says hi."

Link laughed a little, hugging back.

"Good to know," he murmured. He let go of Amelia and looked at the object she had recovered.

"Thanks," he said to her, "that was a brilliant idea you had."

Lina frowned a bit, crossing her arms again.

"What I don't get," she mused aloud, "was how it worked. I mean he obviously knew she wasn't a kid."

Zel thought deeply for a minute. He crossed his own arms, looking up.

"It wasn't a matter of how she looked or how old she really is," he offered, "but rather how she was acting. Yes, she's old enough for him to consider her an adult, but she has the innocence of a child. She was acting like one, so he was willing to give her a chance."

Navi bounced, happily agreeing.

"And it helped that she offered to play with him, I think," she joined. "Skull Kids get pretty lonely out here. They don't even play with each other much. So the thought of having a new friend to play with really broke through his shell."

Link smiled. He was glad this had worked out so well, and he was even more glad that Skull Kid still considered him a friend.

Gourry chose the moment or quiet to change the subject.

"So," he asked, "what **is** that thingy, anyway?"

Zel and Lina raised one eyebrow each at the use of the word, "thingy." Amelia didn't seem to notice, and waited with interest for the answer. Link held it up.

"It's called a hookshot. It's something I got from an old friend when I went through my first adventure."

Lina tilted her head, genuinely fascinated.

"Huh," she mumbled, "so how does it work, exactly?"

Link grinned, aimed the hookshot at the top edge of the taller stump, then shot. The big spike on the end stuck fast in the wood, and the spring-loaded chain automatically yanked Link up onto the stump. He turned around and smirked at his friends.

"Pretty cool, huh?"


	11. Moblins and Mazes

After the recovery of the hookshot, Link led the way trough the forest. It was slow going, as the memory of which way to go was still falling into place. They were hindered when they came across a large gap in a wall, which was framed by a stone archway. It looked like the entrance to some sort of tunnel. Link hesitated a moment, wondering. _This can't be the way...But I feel like it's important,_ he thought. He rubbed his head; he was giving himself a headache. Zel set a hand on Link's shoulder.

"Hey," he said in a very calm voice, "you've got to stop pushing yourself. The memories will come back in time, but if you keep trying to force it, you may end up fooling yourself."

Link slowly relaxed. He nodded slowly.

"Thanks, Zelgadis," he replied. Zel smiled just a little.

Soon, a bit further in the maze they spotted a small but very deep pond. There was a stone slab sitting on the far side. Link paused, looking at it, then breathed deeply and moved on. Finally, he led them to what looked like the entrance of a small maze. Heavy footsteps were coming from inside the maze walls.

Zel listened carefully, hearing several sets of footsteps.

"Sounds like we've got company," he stated. "We'll have to clear the way if we want to get through."

"Well, well," Lina said with a smirk, putting her hands on her hips, "it's about time we got to fight something."

Link frowned, thinking. Something seemed wrong with the idea of just charging in there. He looked at the gap in the first wall. He knew something was there, and that they should be more careful, but he wasn't sure what course of action to take. Navi stepped in to help, and floated over. She took a careful peek around the wall, and, seeing no danger, flitted back over.

"It looks okay to me," she told Link and the others.

Link breathed deeply, then walked in. Before anyone could follow suit, Link was speared through a shoulder and slammed into the far wall by a large, troll-like beast in heavy armor. Zelgadis, like everyone else, was in shock. But he moved quickly, taking the monster out with one well-timed slice to the back of the head. The monster fell hard, dead as a doorknob. Zel helped Link to his feet and guided him back through the maze entrance. Amelia quickly doctored Link's injury, never missing a beat.

"I'm sorry, Link," Navi whined, "It wasn't there when I first looked."

Link waved it off, giving her a small smile.

"It's fine," he replied calmly. He stood up, looking at the maze. A fuzzy memory came together, and he took a deep breath.

"Come on," he said to Lina and crew, "I have an idea."

With that, the group cautiously entered the maze. They made it around the first couple corners safely, but as they reached the third, they heard the telltale sound of heavy feet hitting the ground.

"Well," Gourry whispered to Link, "you said you had an idea. Guess it's time to try it out."

Link stood flat against the wall and edged slowly toward the corner. He peered around it, watching for danger. Sure enough, one of the armored monsters was stomping its way in their direction. Link held up a hand behind the wall, signalling everyone to wait. Wait they did, tense and holding their breaths. The beast stomped up, stopping just before the corner. Link was halfway out from behind the wall, but he knew it wouldn't see him unless he were standing right in the middle. He didn't have to remember these things to know they were dumb as a bag of rocks. True to Link's suspicions, the creature didn't notice a thing. It swung it's huge head left, then right, then turned and started trudging in the other direction. Link chose his moment. He took out the hookshot, aimed it right at the back of the thing's ugly head, and fired. The instant it was struck by the shot, the monster dropped like a lead weight. Everyone relaxed, and Link was given a congratulatory pat on the back by Gourry.

"Man," the latter exclaimed with a huge grin on his face, "that was some idea! Good going, buddy!"

Amelia nodded eagerly. Zel smirked. Lina raised a fist, feeling determined now that they had a foolproof plan.

"Alright," she commented, "now if we can just get rid of the rest of those things-"

"Moblins," Link interjected. He finally remembered what they were, as if destroying one had jogged his memory.

Lina stared at him, annoyed that she'd been interrupted. Link shrugged apologetically, though secretly he was trying hard not to smile. Lina sighed, then continued her statement.

"As I was saying, if we can take the rest of them out the same way, we'll be outta here in no time!"  
With their new plan in action, the team made short work of the rest of the moblins. They reached the exit, feeling relieved. Link paused, turning around. There was a ladder on the wall behind them. He made note of this, feeling that it was important. He frowned as he started to realize how very similar this all was to his first adventure; in fact, it was nearly identical so far. Hadn't he defeated all those moblins before? Hadn't all the monsters disappeared when he defeated...What was his name? It didn't matter. Something was more than wrong about whatever was going on. It was just too unnatural.

"You okay," Lina asked, nudging him. Link broke free from his trance-like thoughts and turned back toward what was facing them: A large stone staircase. A knot of anxiety formed in his stomach; something was waiting up there. Nonetheless, he walked up the steps, friends in tow. Four more stomachs twisted into four more knots when they saw just what it was that awaited them.

At the top of the flight of stairs was what looked like a giant moblin, its head almost scraping the stone ceiling of the walls around it. Navi's wings twitched nervously.

"Oh boy," she mumbled, "this guy again..."

Gourry stepped forward. He drew his sword.

"I'll handle this one," he declared, before charging at it with a battle cry. He was in for a shock, because before he even got near it, the giant moblin swung its massive club at the ground, sending a shockwave that slapped Gourry backward. Gourry landed hard, sprawling on the grass. He groaned, rubbing his head.

"Okay," he said, "even I can admit that was a dumb idea."

"You get a few points for trying," Lina admitted, though she felt like she shouldn't. She helped her self-proclaimed bodyguard to his feet.

Amelia was watching the beast that was blocking their way. She noted that Gourry had gone straight down the left side, and that was exactly where the monster had swung. All at once, she got an idea. She looked to Gourry.

"Mr. Gourry, I've got it!"

Gourry blinked, staring at her.

"Got what?"

Amelia was practically bouncing in place.

"All you have to do is zig-zag up to it! It swings where you are, but not where you're going! If you weave back and forth, it won't be able to keep up!"

Everyone stared, realizing how right she was. Link facepalmed.

"Of course..." he grumbled, "NOW I remember that..." Amelia giggled and hugged him. Link patted her head lightly. There was something endearing about her; he couldn't help but like her. Gourry rotated his shoulders, getting ready. He raised his sword once more.

"Alright, you big bully," he shouted, "let's do this!" He charged as before, but this time he worked his way from one side to the other and back as Amelia had suggested. Before the giant had realized what was happening, Gourry was slashing at its ankles. With a few swift slices, Gourry sent the monster plunging to the hard ground. Where it landed, several large, red jewels sprung up. Lina's eyes went as wide as dinner plates, but Link was picking the gems up before she could move. Seeing the looks on her face and Gourry's, he paused.

"I should explain," he admitted, putting the gems away in his wallet, "these aren't the kind of jewels you're thinking they are. These are to people in Hyrule what gold is to you. It's just money. And while I probably won't be the only one using them, I think it only makes sense that I keep track of any we find. After all, you guys don't know the exchange rates. I suppose I could teach you, but this method is a lot easier."

Lina sulked, but she knew he was right. Gourry didn't seem to care all that much.

The first couple of their trials completed, the group walked up the second stairway, and entered an open grove surrounded by trees and mossy stone walls. In the center was some sort of stone platform with a leaf-like symbol in the middle of it, and at the far end was a tall tree next to a broken staircase. Just beyond the staircase was what looked like a doorway; it emitted a powerful sense of importance and magic, but also danger. Link remembered the door and how to reach it, but the platform on the grass was a mystery. He bonked his head a couple times, hoping to break the memory loose, but it did him no good.

"Looks like the well's gone dry for now," he mumbled to himself, forgetting for a moment that he wasn't alone. Gourry put a friendly arm around Link's shoulders.

"Don't worry about it," he told Link with a rather relaxed, upbeat tone of voice, "I'll bet ya anything there are at least** two** memory shards up there somewhere."

Lina grinned.

"And we're gonna help you find 'em," she added. Link smiled a bit, feeling a little better.

Zel looked at the sky; it was getting dark, and they were all pretty tired. The journey to get here took more out of them than they'd thought.

"Let's call it a night," he said. "We can head inside in the morning."

No one showed any signs of disagreeing with him. With that, they set up camp, had the first calm meal they'd had in days (to be truthful, it was the only meal they'd had since they'd reached Hyrule,) and went to bed. Link stayed up a bit longer than everyone else, thinking about everything that had happened. _It's a tough job,_ he thought to himself, _but someone's gotta do it._ Finally, he turned over and went to sleep.


End file.
